Aldermen and candidate positions on Market Basket and the Milk Row rezoning ?

[i-leonardo.livejournal.com]

Has anyone got firm, specific position statements from aldermen and candidates regarding the Market Basket and Milk Row rezoning proposal ?  How about the Mayor's office ?  I've heard a lot of generalities; would love to hear some specifics before I go to the polls tomorrow.  Thanks !

Comments

[miss-chance.livejournal.com]

That issue is a big driver for my voting, both in its specificity and in the larger issues it represents of granting zoning variances or changes to allow otherwise prohibited conversions some of our last, historic, working industrial spaces into more flippin' luxury condos.

For At-Large, I'm voting for Carol Dempkowski, Sean Fitzgerald, Dennis Sullivan, and William White. The responses of Fitzgerald, Sullivan, and White at pdsomerville.org (http://www.pdsomerville.org/node/248) make it clear they understand the greater issue of which the Milk Row proposal was* a prime example. I spoke personally with William White outside the last Aldermanic meeting and believe he was genuinely concerned. Dempkowski specifically addressed the issue of zoning enforcement and transparency in the hearing process. Dempkowski and Sullivan offer specific, concrete plans for reaching out to non-English speaking residents.

In Ward 5 Mark Neidergang has been vocal in support of the Milk Row Creative Group. I haven't heard/seen candidates from the other Wards up for election speak on the issue.




*was: breaking news: the proposal has been (temporarily) withdrawn. Rumor has it there was a $15M sweating on the table under a bright light, ready to go if the variance went through, so the proposal won't stay gone for long. But the word is that the proposal will be revised and re-submitted with different specifics.

[i-leonardo.livejournal.com]

Thanks !!

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Just to clarify - does the Milk Row proposal / withdrawn proposal / etc affects the working industrial spaces becoming zoned residential, and not actually affect the Market basket property? Or would it change the zoning at Market Basket too? And has Market Basket expressed any reason why it might actually shut down the supermarket if zoning changes take place?

I have seen this described as "oh noes, they will tear down Market Basket and build condos" and honestly that makes me have a harder time believing that it is not a massive overreaction than "oh noes, they want to tear down the other stuff that isn't earning enough money for its property owners and that is awesome and part of the community". I would like to see Milk Row continue to have thriving businesses and artists in commercial space, but framing it as a threat to Market Basket if Market Basket is not at all interested in turning the supermarket into condos does not seem to make sense to me.

[grapefruiteater.livejournal.com]

Market Basket often owns the buildings their stores are in (not the case for most supermarkets). They typically build the buildings themselves, and I think they do a lot of their transactions in cash, so they own the stores outright. Anyway, that means they're in a better position to negotiate on matters such as this. I'm not sure if they own the building that houses the Somerville store, but either way, I'd assume it's a profitable location for them, given how busy it is.